Lubricating device for axle bearings



pt. 6, 2 G. nuwmga LUBRICATING DEVICE FOR AXLE BEARINGS I I I m/ Nrn w HI I H I I U 51M$ Patented Sept. 6, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

GEORG'DUEFING, OF HAMBURG, GERMANY.

LUBRICATING DEVICE FOR AXLE BEARINGS.

Application filed January 11', 1926, Serial No, 80,651, and in GermanyJanuary 21, 1925..

In mechanical lubricating devices for vehicles, more particularly forthe axles of railway vehicles, in. which the lubricant conve ying moansconsists in a roller, which is pressed againstthe axle yieldingly, thearrangement as used hitherto will be found su'llicient for normalworking, but not for abnormal stresses in the axle bearing. Such anabnormal stressing caused, for instance in the use of railway goodstrucks, by their running, during shunting operations, from the rampsonto brake blocks and. are caused to jump owing to the sudden braking.This jumping results in a reductionv of the space between the bottomsurface of the axle box and the axle, which may go so far as to causethe roller-shaped lubricant conveyor to be deformed between the saidsurfaces. According to the material used in making the lubricantconveyor, the latter will either break or damage will be done to theaxle box or, which is worse, the axle itself will be flattened.

This drawback becomes noticeable with roller-shaped lubricant conveyingmeans, the roller diameter of which is so great that only a small amountof space is left between the roller and the bottom surface of the axlebox. In other lubricant conveyors with smaller rollers and chainlubrication there will be no flattening of the rollers, but the chainswill get twisted, which also makes it impossible for the arrangement toworlr satisfactorily.

All these drawbacks are overcome by the present invention by theprovision, in a lubricating device pressed yieldingly against the axlejournal and having a lubricant conveyor rotatable about an axis, ofguiding means, which in the case ofthe lubricant conveyor comingdangerously near the bottom surface of the axle box cause a temporarytilting of the spring loaded lubricant conveyor. In this arrangement,when the axle approaches too closely to the bottom surface of the box,the roller tilts over laterally, so that it cannot be crushed orotherwise damaged. As the lubricant conveyor is oppositely springloaded, it will return automatically to the operative position, on thedangerous approach of the axle towards the bottom of the box ceasing.

In the accompanying drawing a constructional example of the invention isshown,

Fig. 1 being a longitudinal section,

Reference character (Z indicates the pivoted frame for'supporting theframe 6. pivoted.

at a in the frame (Z and in which the conveying roller f is journalled.The helical spring 9 which is attached. to the parts 7) and 6, holds theframe 6 firmly against the: stop member h on the frame (Z, when the.parts are in the operative position, so that, when.

the roller is only slightly moved, the frames (5 and 6 will behave as iftheycon stituted a single part, in which the roller f runs and which bymeans of the spring 9 presses the roller against the axle. Thus thelubricant conveyor is held in the operative position by a spring 9attached at one end to the lubricant conveyor frame and at th other endto a fixed support I) and by a stop member h.

When the frame (Z is moved to any considerable extent about the pin is,the stop member on fixed to the frame 6 will strike against the upwardlybent contact member 0 (Fig. 3) causing the spring 9 to be tensioned andthe frame e to rotate away from the stop member it so that the rollerwill tilt over. After this unusually great approach of the axle to thebottom surface of the axle box has ceased, the pressure on the lubricantconveyor will of course diminish and the .said conveyor will returnautomatically into its operative position, that is the Vertical orapproximately vertical operative position.

Hence, the tilting of the lubricant conveyor is always only temporary.

A counter-poise p fixed in the frame cl serves the purpose of balancingthe pivoted frame d and also prevents the roller chat-, tering, when thespring 7 is a weak spring.

In the construction example shown the roller f is journalled in fixedbearings in the frame 6, but these bearings may be made yielding ifdesired, although the provision made by the yielding action of the framed is sufiicient by itself for the purpose.

Other constructional forms of the invention are possible by modifyingthe example shown. The feature of the invention does not however consistonly in the solution of the problem to render the delivery of lubricantcertain, even in abnormal working con ditionsby the one constructionalexample shown, but embraces generally the solution of the problem ofovercoming the danger to the lubricant conveyors, by providing means fortilting the said conveyor and automatically ire-erecting it.

I claim:

1. A lubricating device including a lubricant conveyor, means mountingthe lubricant conveyor for rotation about a substantially horizontalaxis, spring means normally'tending to press the lubricant conveyoragainst a shaft to be lubricated and permit ting said conveyor to betemporarily tilted, said mounting means including a frame rotatablymounting said lubricant conveyor, a rocking frame pivotally supportingthe first mentioned frame, and a support for the rocking fram-e,-saidspring means being attached to said support and to the first men- Itioned frame whereby said spring means simultaneously tends to press thelubricant conveyor against a shaft to be lubricated and holds therocking frame in operative position.

3. A lubricating device as claimed in claim r 1 characterized in thatsaid mounting means includes a frame rotatably mountmg said lubricantconveyor, a rocking frame pivot- Y ally supporting the first mentionedframe, a support for the rocking frame, said spring means acting tonormally 1'6621111 the lubricant conveyor against a shaft to belubricated and to hold the rocking frame in operative position, andmeans operating to tilt the first mentioned frame with respect to therocking frame when the latter is displaced to a pre-determined extent.

in testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

GEORG DUFFING.

